Gotō Islands

The Gotō Islands (五島列島, Gotō-rettō, literally: "five-island archipelago") are Japanese islands in the East China Sea, off the western coast of Kyūshū. They are part of Nagasaki Prefecture.[1]

Goto Islands in relation to Nagasaki Prefecture

Geography

Relief Map

Scenery of the Goto Islands

There are 140 islands, including five main ones: Fukue Island (福江島, Fukue-jima), Hisaka Island (久賀島, Hisaka-jima), Naru Island (奈留島, Naru-shima), Wakamatsu Island (若松島, Wakamatsu-jima), and Nakadōri Island (中通島, Nakadōri-jima).[2]

The group of islands runs approximately 85 km (53 mi) end-to-end; its center is at 32°45′03″N 128°27′30″E.

To the north is Tsushima Island in the Tsushima Strait and to the east is Kyūshū and the rest of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the port of Nagasaki. The Tsushima Current (a branch of the Kuroshio) passes around the islands.

The southern of the two principal islands, Fukue, measures approximately 25 kilometres (16 miles) north-to-south by 25 kilometres (16 miles) east-to-west; the northern, Nakadōri Island, measures approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-to-south by 30 kilometres (19 miles) east-to-west at its widest point. Most of Nakadōri Island, however, is quite narrow, measuring less than 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) wide for much of its length. Some dome-shaped hills command the old castle town of Fukue. The islands are highly cultivated; deer and other game abound, and trout are plentiful in the mountain streams.

As a result of a merger on August 1, 2004, the city of Gotō was established. It occupies Fukue, Hisaka, and Naru islands, and seven inhabited ones. The town of Shin-Kamigotō, itself the product of a simultaneous, separate merger in 2004, occupies Nakadōri and Wakamatsu islands, two of the five main islands of the Gotō archipelago, in addition to the small inhabited islands of Arifuku, Kashiragashima, Hinoshima, Ryōzegaura, and Kirinoko and a great number of uninhabited islets.

The small island of Kabajima is east of Hisaka Island and northeast of Fukue Island.[3] It belongs to Gotō City.

Demographics

Dōzaki church

An important historical element is the roots of Christianity in Japan within the islands. Some of the inhabitants are descended from Christians of the Catholic Church ("Kakure Kirishitan"), who came to their faith upon the introduction of Christianity to Japan via Portuguese missionaries in the late 16th century. These Japanese were many times persecuted and tortured by the Japanese shogunates for their beliefs, all the way into the early Meiji period.[4] Until recently Hanare Kirishitans still lived there; the majority either returned to Catholicism after it was legalized in the 19th century or reverted to earlier practices. The islands have numerous Catholic churches, the oldest and most famous of which is Dōzaki church, built in 1868 and located about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) north of Fukue port.

Products

Marine products, such as oysters and sea urchins, are the main products of the island. Natural camellia oil of Fukuejima is famous in Japan for cosmetic use. Cankoro-mochi, simple and traditional confectionary made from mochi and sliced and dried sweet potato is a kind of "soul food" for Goto natives. Cancoro-mochi is a good, inexpensive souvenir. It becomes sweeter when sliced (5 mm – 1 cm thick) and toasted in a toaster oven.

Tourism

Fukue city is a typical jokamachi in Japan, but the most interesting point is that the old castle in Fukue (called Ishida-jo castle) was built last in Japanese history. The year after the castle was completed, Japan opened their nation because of the Meiji Restoration. Today, the castle is used as the Goto high school and is contributing to the education of young Goto natives. Most of the castle area inside the stone walls are opened for public, you'll be able to see even the school grounds (which is also old castle heritage) if you ask for permission from the school administration office.

Transportation

The Gotō-Fukue Airport (FUJ/RJFE)[5] is on Fukue Island.

Ferry services from Nagasaki and Sasebo are offered by Kyusyu Shosen Co. Ltd. Both standard ferry and hydrofoil services operate.

There are also regular bus services on Fukue island.

See also

• Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
• Barakamon - Anime/Manga Series set on Fukue Island.

Notes

1. Teikoku's Complete Atlas of Japan, Teikoku-Shoin Co., Ltd., ISBN 4-8071-0004-1.
2. "Nagasaki, Unzen, Goto Islands, Iki and Tsushima" (PDF). Japan National Tourist Organization. 2007.
3. Map of Goto Islands showing Kabashima at env.go.jap; retrieved 2013-4-30.
4. Kakure Kirishtan
5. Airport

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Goto Islands". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

External links

• Goto city tourism association (in Japanese)